Tag: how to run a construction company

Business

Post-vacation pressure: How to return to the office and jobsite without missing a beat

With long holiday weekends and the summer vacation season upon us, it’s easy to get behind in your work. If you often come back from vacations and long weekends overwhelmed, take a deep breath. Here are some tips to get your affairs back in order, and some ideas to keep in mind before your next break. More than […]

April 10, 2015

Business

Hiring an accounting firm can save your construction company money. Here’s how to find the right one

Since many construction companies start out as just one guy with a truck and a piece of equipment or two, sometimes obtaining professional help such as accountants doesn’t come into play until much later. Still, having the advice of a good CPA is crucial, says Denise Bendele, a partner with Texas-based Padgett Stratemann, a CPA […]

October 6, 2014

Success Stories

Zeal for diversification, taking care of fleet key to Wm. Winkler Company’s success

“We love to do anything that involves concrete,” says Brian Winkler, 47, president of Wm. Winkler Company.  In fact, concrete has been Wm. Winkler Company’s material of choice since Brian’s grandfather started the firm in Spokane, Washington, in 1919. His grandfather did curb and gutter work, and Brian’s father, the oldest of 11 children, joined […]

September 1, 2014

Business

4 tips for developing a health and wellness program at your construction firm (and why you should)

Construction company owners are in a unique position when it comes to assessing and helping their employees manage their health and wellness. Construction is difficult, demanding work, and having employees at the top of their game both mentally and physically is crucial. The firms are also often small enough for company owners to be able […]

July 16, 2014

Technology

What the defeat of Al Qaeda in Iraq, big data, telematics and reverse mentoring can teach you about running a construction company

About a third of the way through retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s new biography My Share of the Task  it becomes apparent that his team’s use of big data played a key role in the defeat of the Iraqi insurgency between 2004 and 2007. Our military has struggled since Vietnam to come up with a way of […]

June 6, 2014

Business

Mailbag: Readers add criticisms, more advice for contractors and newbies looking for success in the construction business

We received quite a response from a couple of recent editorials, “The newbie’s guide to surviving your first week in construction,” and “The six habits of highly successful construction company owners.” So we thought we should share some of the additional ideas and suggestions we received via email from our readers—both the praise and the […]

April 8, 2014

Business

The 6 habits of highly successful construction company owners

In our recent special report, “The Future of Your Construction Company”, we focused so much on contractors retiring or transitioning out of the business that it almost begs a question. What does it take to succeed in the construction business? I’ve been in the fortunate position of interviewing at length dozens of our Contractor of […]

March 28, 2014

Business

Lean and Mean: How 3 brothers built Glendale Excavating into a successful company by managing its size

Glendale Excavating’s three brothers—Tommy, Dany and Greg Giangiulio—take pride in their construction heritage. “We’re third generation operating engineers,” says Dany. “We watched our grandfather operate equipment when we were kids, and begged to go to work with our father.” Adds Greg with a laugh: “It’s not that we had any choice in the matter.” Glendale […]

February 4, 2014

Business

3 smart strategies to try in your construction business from a successful landscaper

We’ve all heard stories of unconventional entrepreneurs taking the path less traveled to success. The challenge lies in finding practical ways to apply alternative strategies to your own business. Terry Sims of the Garden Artist in Boise, Idaho, has taken her landscape design firm to the top of her field using smart strategies. And though […]

October 29, 2013

Business

The 9 leadership rules every contractor should know

One of the great assignments the editors at Equipment World get every year is to go out and interview a dozen Contractor of the Year finalists and find out how they have succeeded in this very tough business. If you want to be the best at what you do you owe it to yourself to […]

October 9, 2013

Business

Too much of a good thing? Three steps for managing your construction company’s growth

It’s the time of year when Equipment World editors start scouring Contractor of the Year nominations, looking for the best of the best. Some traits are easy to pick out as the signs of a contender: low turnover, good revenue growth, excellent equipment management, a sterling safety record. While others don’t quite jump out at you, […]

September 3, 2013

Business

Energy, fuel and the federal regulatory tsunami dominate the conversation at the 2013 Construction Symposium

Contractors and heavy equipment fleet managers got an earful of what challenges await them in the construction industry and what the solutions might be at the Randall Reilly Construction Symposium held Wednesday and Thursday in Dallas, Texas. In a nutshell—the shale oil and gas revolution is going to be great for the construction industry, but […]

August 23, 2013